Retirement community helps NCC celebrate golden anniversary

Maggie Gordon, Staff Writer

Updated 8:44 pm, Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Photo: Contributed Photo

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From l to r: NCC almunus Trinell Ball, NCC president David Levinson, former Norwalk resident Lea Mintz, who organized the celebration dinner, and NCC alumna Linda Rivera. Ball and Rivera are married and graduated from NCC in 2004. less

From l to r: NCC almunus Trinell Ball, NCC president David Levinson, former Norwalk resident Lea Mintz, who organized the celebration dinner, and NCC alumna Linda Rivera. Ball and Rivera are married and ... more

Photo: Contributed Photo

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Student Edythe Woodruff talks with Norwalk Community College Professor of Religion and Philosophy Ed Grippe, Ph.D., before he presented his lecture ÒDemocracy Begins at Home: Reflections on American Democracy in Light of the North African RevolutionsÓ at the Meadow Ridge Assisted Living Center in Redding, Conn., April 28, 2011. NCC has formed a partnership with the facility to offer onsite college courses to residents ranging in age from 65 to 95. less

Student Edythe Woodruff talks with Norwalk Community College Professor of Religion and Philosophy Ed Grippe, Ph.D., before he presented his lecture ÒDemocracy Begins at Home: Reflections on American Democracy ... more

Photo: Keelin Daly

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Norwalk Community College Professor of Religion and Philosophy Ed Grippe, Ph.D., presents his lecture “Democracy Begins at Home: Reflections on American Democracy in Light of the North African Revolutions” at the Meadow Ridge Assisted Living Center in Redding, Conn., April 28, 2011. NCC has formed a partnership with the facility to offer onsite college courses to residents ranging in age from 65 to 95. less

Norwalk Community College Professor of Religion and Philosophy Ed Grippe, Ph.D., presents his lecture “Democracy Begins at Home: Reflections on American Democracy in Light of the North African Revolutions” ... more

Photo: Keelin Daly

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Student Jack Farmakis chats with Norwalk Community College Professor of Religion and Philosophy Ed Grippe, Ph.D., before he presented his lecture ÒDemocracy Begins at Home: Reflections on American Democracy in Light of the North African RevolutionsÓ at the Meadow Ridge Assisted Living Center in Redding, Conn., April 28, 2011. NCC has formed a partnership with the facility to offer onsite college courses to residents ranging in age from 65 to 95. less

Student Jack Farmakis chats with Norwalk Community College Professor of Religion and Philosophy Ed Grippe, Ph.D., before he presented his lecture ÒDemocracy Begins at Home: Reflections on American Democracy in ... more

The party was hosted by Meadow Ridge in honor of NCC's golden anniversary and also in celebration of an innovative partnership between NCC and the continuing care community.

Residents at Meadow Ridge, a continuing care facility in Redding, are proving it's never too late to go back to school.

The retirement community began hosting classes taught by Norwalk Community College faculty earlier this year, offering spaces for 60 learners to tackle two noncredit classes on the Meadow Ridge property.

"It's been absolutely fantastic," said Lea Mintz, a member of the Norwalk Community College Foundation Board of Directors and a resident of Meadow Ridge, who conceptualized the partnership. "The requests are coming in fast and furious as to when we can start the next session."

The program launched in February, and featured courses in ethics and literature, taught by Ed Grippe, a philosophy and religion professor, and special topics in American history taught by Elliot Kalner, an American history professor.

According to Madeline Barillo, a spokeswoman for NCC, the partnership is the first of its kind in Connecticut.

"We only had 30 spots in each class, and they filled up in no time," said Mintz, who noted she wants to host three courses in the fall to offer more residents a chance to participate.

"It was really challenging," said Vera Schupack, 88, who took Grippe's ethics and literature class in the spring semester.

"Grippe forces you to delve in deep, he just keeps pushing you," she said.

Schupack said there was no homework for the classes, which ran from 10 a.m. to noon Fridays. They were run using the Socratic method of question and answer.

"It was a really good experience for me. As a documentary filmmaker, I'd made films in and around some of the people we were studying, but I'd never put it in order. This gave me some context," he said.

While they both liked the history class, Hamer said she would like to try something different in the future.

"I'd like to learn something I don't know anything about in math and science," she said. "Since we don't get graded, I can afford to be a dummy and just learn."

The dinner was attended by faculty, students, alumni, Foundation Board members and supporters of the college, as well as many Meadow Ridge residents who have taken NCC courses or helped launch the NCC Off-Campus partnership.

At the June 10 event, Meadow Ridge Executive Director Lisa Kinsella welcomed guests and praised NCC for delivering half a century of outstanding education to the community.

Mintz read a proclamation from Connecticut Lieutenant Governor Nancy Wyman congratulating NCC on its milestone anniversary and introduced guest speakers Trinell Ball and Linda Rivera. Ball and Rivera are a married couple who first met in an NCC chemistry class. Both graduated from NCC in 2004 and continued their engineering studies at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.